Attendance and Leave of Absence
Regular attendance and punctuality are crucial for children’s education and are to be encouraged as strongly as possible.
Good attendance is important because:
- Statistics show a direct link between under-achievement and poor attendance
- Regular attendees make better progress, both socially and academically
- Poor attendance is often linked to broader safeguarding issues
- Regular attendees find school routines and school work easier to cope with
- Regular attendees find learning more satisfying
- Regular attendees have an easier transfer to secondary school
Leave of Absence can only be granted under exceptional circumstances such as: bereavement or other very challenging family circumstances; family weddings etc.
This is the procedure to apply for children to take leave from school.
1. Click here for the ‘Leave of Absence Form’, on which you can give details of the ‘exceptional circumstances’ which are the basis of your request.
2. Email it or hand it back to the office staff, with any further details you wish to give. Make an appointment if you wish to discuss it further with the Headteacher.
3. Where leave is granted by letter from the school, there will be no further action needed.
4. Where leave is not granted and is taken nonetheless the matter may be referred* to the ‘Attendance and Compliance in Education’ (ACE) service. You will be informed if this is to be the case. ACE may decide to administer a fine.
Our target for attendance is 97.7% and if children’s attendance dips below 95% it is possible we will approach you to discuss this – unless we know of a particular illness that has caused the dip. ‘Persistent absence’ is considered to be anything less than 90%.